Incremental emplacement and syn-tectonic deformation of Late Triassic granites in the Qinling Orogen: Structural and geochronological constraints

Abstract Granitoids are important components of major orogenic belts, and provide important information about the regional geodynamic evolution. The emplacement mechanism of granite plutons and its relationship with regional tectonics has long been discussed, although it still remains debated. The Qinling Orogen within the Central China Orogen was marked by the emplacement of numerous Late Triassic granitic plutons. Although the petrology, geochemistry and geochronology of these intrusions have been addressed in various studies, their tectonic setting remains controversial, particularly since the structural aspects not been evaluated in detail. In this study, we attempt to reconstruct the emplacement process of the Late Triassic Dongjiangkou pluton in the South Qinling Belt. Field observations show extensive syn-plutonic deformations both in the pluton and its contact zones. Microstructural observations demonstrate that fabrics in the pluton were mainly acquired during submagmatic flow to high-T solid-state deformation. Zircon U–Pb ages reveal that the pluton is a composite intrusion which is composed of two juxtaposed small plutons with distinct ages (~210 Ma and ~200 Ma). Al-in-hornblende thermobarometer indicates that the pluton was formed at depths ranging from 4.7 km to 8.8 km, with an increasing depth trend from the inner unit to the outer unit. Distribution of the internal fabrics shows two concentric patterns which are concordant with pluton margins at the pluton scale and were probably induced by the regional sinistral transpression. Integrating these analyses, an incremental emplacement model is proposed for the syn-tectonic pluton. This model not only solves the ‘room problem’ but also accounts for the zoned petrological features of the pluton. Combined with previous studies, we suggest that the Late Triassic granite plutons in the Qinling Orogen were emplaced under a syn-collisional convergence setting, and that the granite magmatism was probably controlled by regional tectonics. Additionally, the incremental emplacement model may be a common mechanism for the Late Triassic granite plutons.